Hi Friends, Happy New Year! I hope over the holidays you enjoyed quality time with the important people in your life and took some time to rest and recharge. We did just that and it was nice to enjoy the down time with friends and family.
But I always hate that time after Christmas and New Year’s when it’s time to clean up, take down the tree and decorations, and go back to what now looks like a NAKED living room. Putting away Christmas is so depressing! After a day or two, though, the living room doesn’t look so weird, life carries on, and suddenly there are new plans and things to look forward to.
The new year is a great time to re-assess, declutter and start the year off fresh and organized. So to help you get started, I’ve put together 10 simple tasks that will take you 30 minutes or less to complete. But these small tasks will result in a big payoff for getting you organized and ready to start the new year off right!
Spread these out over the next couple weeks when you have a half hour to spare, and little by little, you will be feeling lighter, cleaner, organized, and less stressed! Ready? Let’s go!
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How to Get Organized in the New Year
Mark Your Calendar
Get a calendar (dry erase, wall calendar, planner, etc) and start filling it in for the whole year. Add important events, Dr.’s appointments, school events and closures, upcoming vacations and everything in between. Make sure you add them in your phone, too!
Create a Weekly Meal Plan
Go here to download a FREE copy of my printable Weekly Meal Planner to help you quickly and easily plan meals for the week, make a grocery list, create an index of your go-to meals for easy reference, and check out the Un-Recipe Dinner Ideas Guide for super easy, last-minute meals!
Declutter Your Inbox
Be ruthless. Go through all the clutter and hit “unsubscribe” to everything except the ones that really matter.
Clean out Your Refrigerator
Throw out any old/expired food. Wipe down drawers and shelves. Consider buying fridge organizers to keep things looking nice and organized. Once it is empty, put food and drink items back in, grouping like items together and creating separate “zones.”
Organize Your Pantry
Throw out anything old or expired. Donate any items in good condition that you know you won’t use. Wipe down the shelves. Again, consider buying organizers for this space as well to help keep things neat and tidy for that “Home Edit” vibe. (Love them!) Put items back in thoughtfully, keeping like items together so you can easily find them and putting the things you use most within easy reach.
Check the Medicine Cabinet
Take a quick inventory and throw out anything that is old or expired. While you’re in there, wipe down the shelves and tidy up the remaining contents. Next, make a list of medications or supplies (especially kids’ medicine) that you need to re-stock so you can buy them ahead of time and have them ready when you need it.
Clean Out Your Car
Remove anything that doesn’t belong in the car, throw away the trash, organize the glove compartment and trunk (see this post for more awesome tips!) and vacuum/wipe down the interior. If you have extra time, fill up the tank and get a car wash. Ahhh…there’s just something so rewarding about a nice clean car!
Purge Your Closet
This doesn’t have to be an all-day, wardrobe-overhaul project, but it’s a good idea to go through your closet a few times a year to purge any items that are making your closet more cluttered than it needs to be – and therefore making it harder to choose an outfit in the morning!
Set the timer for 30 minutes, and do a quick audit. Pull out the following:
- Items that are torn or stained
- Clothes that you just don’t love, are uncomfortable, or don’t quite fit right (life is too short!)
- Items that you have duplicates of and don’t wear enough to justify keeping two
- Anything you’re on the fence about
- Don’t forget the shoes, too!
For torn/stained clothes, throw them away or cut them into rags. If there are items you are just unsure about, hang them in a separate section of your closet or store them in a bin and see if you miss them. If not, let go of them the next time you do a closet purge. For everything else – donate! I also highly recommend getting a set of velvet hangers. They’re non-slip, save space, and help make your closet look uniform and more organized.
Organize Your Purse and Wallet
Empty out your purse and remove anything that doesn’t belong, including throwing away any trash. Empty out your wallet and get rid of old receipts, coupons, used/expired gift cards or other loyalty/credit cards you don’t use. Consider using zippered pouches to keep smaller items (like gum, mints, makeup, & health items) organized and contained.
Unclutter Your Phone
Go through your phone and delete old or unused apps, like the preschool apps your kids are now too big for (#imnotcryingyourecrying) and the random one-time apps you don’t even remember installing. Sort through and delete photos & videos you no longer want or need. Scan your phone for large files and free up space by removing those you don’t need.
Simple Steps to Organize Your Life
If you tried to do all these things in one day, it would be too overwhelming and not get done. But, by taking baby steps and breaking organizing into 30-minute chunks of time, it suddenly becomes much more manageable. And you’ll feel so much better when it’s done! So let’s get started! Print out this post or jot them down on a to-do list, and check them off as you go. You got this!
With love,
